Gang A-Gley
by byrdgirl
Summary: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley." -Robert Burns. Chapter 3 is up.
1. Chapter 1

It started with a hunch; a hunch based on flimsy evidence, a glimmer of hope and a thin wisp of ash. See, the ash was floating on the breeze, but it was floating against the air current. Newt had seen it… a tiny obscurial wisp. It could have been so much dust. Most people would have mistaken it as such, but not Newt.

 _Credence._

So, Newt returned to London, finished his book, wrote letters to his friends, Tina and Queenie in New York, and later after his obliviation unraveled, Jacob too. He kept a low profile. But he also began obsessively scanning magical and muggle newspapers for stories of unexplained phenomenon… earthquakes, explosions, building collapses, and such. First, he looked at papers in New York, then America, then he widened his search to Great Britain and finally Europe. His acquaintances at the ministry and in the publishing industry started commenting on how tired he looked. He had several frustrating and uncomfortable conversations with his brother and his mother. He kept searching.

Then Grindlewald escaped. There was nothing that Newt and Grindlewald had in common, except perhaps for their anger over the death of Credence. If Grindlewald suspected, like Newt did, that Credence was still alive, he would go searching for the boy. He had a network of followers throughout the western world, many with questionable scruples. Newt had a six-month head start, and a stack of newspapers.

Newt's luck changed with the arrival of a postcard from France. It was from Queenie and Jacob. Jacob's obliviation hadn't taken the way that everyone expected. He was exposed to swooping evil venom, which obliviates bad memories. That meant that all the intensely good memories that Jacob had of Queenie and Newt and Tina were merely fragmented. After Queenie orchestrated an encounter with Jacob in his bakery, the memories quickly came flooding back.

Newt was happy for them, but like Tina he was concerned about what their future would hold in a city where their relationship was forbidden. They were aware of the challenges as well, so once Jacob was comfortably paying off his loans and had put a little to the side, he and Queenie planned a trip together to Europe. They were toying with the idea of relocating so that they could marry in peace.

Newt was grateful for the postcards he received from them. The letters from Tina stopped shortly after Grindlewald escaped. She was assigned to the international task force focused on capturing him and was somewhere in Europe last he heard. Newt missed exchanging letters with Tina more than he cared to admit. He found himself reading the old letters he saved, but it wasn't the same. The postcards from Queenie and Jacob were his touchstone to the friendships he developed in New York.

This one was different though. The photo on the front was of a magical circus called Le Cirque du Macabre. Newt pulled a face. For the most part, he despised these sorts of operations. They were often fronts for animal traffickers and they preyed on the desperate and the gullible. He didn't like to think of his friends being taken advantage of by such a place.

He was sitting at his kitchen table with a cup of tea when he turned the card over and read. Pickett was crawling between his head and shoulder looking for a comfortable spot. Dougal was out of the case and curled on Newt's lap. The niffler was being entertained by a charmed coin that vanished as soon as he stored it in his pouch and reappeared a few feet away.

 _Dear Newt,_

 _I'm writing to you because I don't know who else to talk to. I don't know how to get in touch with Tina, and there's no one else I trust with this information._

 _Credence is alive. I don't know how, or whether he's still an obscurial or not. We saw him at this circus we were visiting. The name is on the card. I recognized him from some flashes I got from Tina. She has nightmares about that night in the subway tunnel. It was definitely him._

 _Newt, this circus doesn't seem like a good place. Credence wasn't chained up or nothing, but he didn't look happy, and he didn't look well cared for. If he hasn't gotten control of his obscurus, I don't want to think what will happen if he stays there too long._

 _Jacob and I were scheduled to go to Austria next. I'm sure you've heard the rumors about Grindlewald recruiting followers there. We were going to change those plans, but I think we should try to find Tina, and that seems like a good place to start._

 _The Circus is outside of Paris until the end of the week. Just ask around when you get here. Someone will be able to point you in the right direction. Please hurry._

 _Love,_

 _Queenie_

 _P.s. Jacob says hi and sends his best wishes._

Newt placed the postcard on the table and stroked the place behind Dougal's ears that he liked so much. Credence was alive and in Paris. Newt considered a plan of action. His floo wasn't connected to the international network, but there was a public floo just down the road from him. He could be in Paris before noon. With luck, he could have Credence safely away from the circus in a day or two.

"Fancy a trip to Paris, Dougal?"

As soon as Newt arrived in Paris, he made inquiries about the circus. It was operating in an out of the way spot just outside the city. He collected whatever advertising he could find on it. Newt scanned several different flyers boasting everything from a "Snake Girl" to a genuine unicorn. Some of it was probably humbug. Even a witch or a wizard could be fooled by a transfigured horse under the right circumstances. He saw no mention of Credence in any of the advertising, but he didn't really expect to. Obscurials are not something that draws a crowd.

Newt took a room at Le Balai Tordu, a dark, but cozy pub several blocks from Pere Lachaise cemetery. It was far enough away from the French Ministry to avoid being noticed by the few officials that might recognize him. He had a quick dinner at the pub, went over what little information he could find about Cirque du Macabre, fed and checked on his creatures in the case and rearranged some space in there just in case he needed to accommodate a few new residents for a bit.

By the evening he was ready to take a closer look at the circus. The pub owner was a bit surprised when Newt came down from his room wearing a brown coat instead of blue, hair black as pitch with a neat beard and goatee to match, and a scar down his left cheek. He found that since the publication of his book people were more likely to recognize him. That led to more than one tight scrape, so Newt quickly learned that when he was "on business" he should go in disguise.

Despite his surprise, the pub owner was more than willing to let Newt use his floo for a small fee. Since he was familiar with the circus, he gave Newt the name of a pub about a mile away. Newt repeated the destination several times to the innkeeper before thanking him and taking a pinch of floo powder. In his experience, travelling by floo in a foreign country could be extremely tricky, and even though he spoke a little French, he was always careful.

He arrived at Le Couteau Rouillé, in a room almost identical to the one he left. It was dimly lit, smelled of old timbers steeped in centuries of spilled alcohol and smoke, furniture chosen for its durability, and not its aesthetic, and dripping candles hovering in their lanterns. He double checked the directions he had been given to the circus, and 20 minutes later, case in hand, he was walking under the marquee, just another curious onlooker.

He was greeted first by a gauntlet of performers. There was a fire breather who manipulated the flames into shapes… birds, butterflies, and dragons were popular. Just beyond him, a contortionist floated above the crowd as she twisted her body into increasingly improbable configurations. A pair of jugglers… twins it seemed, passed globes of water back and forth between them, while musicians and clowns gamboled amongst the crowd.

It all looked beautiful and bright, but Newt seemed to be the only one who noticed the shadow side of things. The fire breather was disfigured with deep burn scars down one side of his neck. He seemed to flinch at the delighted screams of his audience. The contortionist had dark circles under her eyes, hollows under her cheeks, and a dull pallid complexion that suggested malnourishment. The jugglers were all hard edges. While the audience was transfixed on the water globes as they floated and danced between them, their eyes roamed restlessly over the crowd, like they were hunting.

Newt also noticed the pick pockets. They were mostly children, weaving between the musicians and clowns and audience, lifting wallets and fob watches while their marks were distracted.

Newt took little pleasure in the spectacle, so he wandered off. The circus was a labyrinth of alleys and passageways all branching off the midway. Barkers tried to entice onlookers with games of chance, and peddlers promised genuine love potions and unicorn blood. Newt found himself becoming anxious from all the sensory overload. He avoided making eye contact with the hawkers, quickening his pace. Eventually, he found himself approaching a series of side show tents. Between the tents there were cages on display with some more common attractions… things to draw the onlookers in and promise more exotic wonders for the cost of a ticket.

Newt stopped by a cage teaming with small flying creatures. They were very similar to Cornish Pixies, but with slightly smaller ears, rounder eyes and more purple in their skin tone. Newt recognized them as Calais Fey. The artwork on the cage boasted colorful pictures of the creatures performing tricks… juggling, balancing balls on their noses in mid-air, aerial acrobatics. The creatures were trainable and made good pets if you were willing to put in the work, but judging by their condition, these poor things were probably abused and neglected into compliance.

A nervous chirping from his breast pocket alerted Newt to Pickett's discomfort. Some magical birds preyed on bowtruckles, so the stick creatures had a natural aversion to most smaller flying creatures.

"Alright, Pickett, settle down."

His tiny friend shrank down as far as he could into Newt's pocket.

Next to the cage was a tent advertising Nagini: The Amazing Snake Girl. Newt hadn't seen any sign of Credence yet, so he paid his admission and went in. What he saw made his blood run cold. She was rail thin. Her eyes were dull and darted around the room nervously. Her arms wrapped around her body, possibly out of anxiety, but probably from cold. Her costume was clearly chosen draw attention to her form, but it was no match for the cool autumn air. The cage certainly seemed solid and Newt could see that it locked from the outside. This looked real.

A tall, thin man in a top hat and red waistcoat stepped in front of her cage and announced that the horrifying transformation was about to begin. People jostled closer to the cage to get a good view. Newt hung back. He was becoming increasing uncomfortable about what he was witnessing. All the light in the tent dimmed except for a bright light trained on the cage. The barker in the red coat stepped aside with a flourish. "Mesdames et messieurs, je presente… Nagini!"

At first, nothing happened. The girl seemed to collapse in on herself trying to become as small as possible. A restless murmur ran through the crowd. The barker's eyes hardened, Newt noticed. He rapped an ebony walking cane against the iron bars, and he whispered something to the girl. Whatever he said did the trick. As if she had no control of herself, her body seized. Then it twisted and contorted painfully until the girl was gone, and in her place, a large, writhing snake. Newt was aghast. The poor girl was a maladictus, he was sure of it now! She was being imprisoned and forced to transform, and these people were cheering it.

Newt spun on his heels, eager to leave the tent as quickly as possible. He collided with someone just behind him. He was just about to apologize, when he saw who it was, and the words stuck in his throat.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked. Her American accent stuck out like a sore thumb. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He was overjoyed and anxious all at once. "Tina," he breathed.

Tina instantly grew suspicious. "I think you've got the wrong person," she said, and made to push past him. That was exactly the moment that Pickett decided to rouse himself in Newt's pocket and poke his little head out. He chirped happily at Tina's familiar face. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the little creature, and then at Newt's face again. "Newt?"

He gave her a lopsided smile and held up his case as confirmation. Tina grabbed him by the arm and apparated them both out of the tent to a dark, quiet spot at the edge of the circus. "Newt, what are you doing here?" Newt hesitated to answer. He didn't know what MACUSA knew about Credence, and he also didn't want to get Jacob or Queenie in trouble. He wasn't good at deception, so he found in these cases that no answer was best.

Tina folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Credence. You know, don't you?" He met her gaze when a whoosh of air alerted them both to the arrival of someone new. Newt turned to see who it was and huffed in frustration.

"Goldstein, why on earth did you leave you post… Newt! What are you doing with that ridiculous face on?" Of course, Theseus saw through his disguise instantly. "Hello, brother," Newt said by way of a greeting. He waved his wand and removed the disguise. There didn't seem much point to it at the moment. Another whoosh and a stranger appeared. Tina and Theseus didn't seem alarmed by his presence, so Newt assumed he was friendly. He was tall and broad with short cropped dark hair, sharp hazel eyes and dark olive skin. His outlandish purple suit stood in stark contrast to Tina's black trench coat and Theseus' attempt to dress down in a ratty grey coat and flat cap.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est? Who are you?" The man glared at Newt.

"Mssr. Bisset, may I introduce my brother? This is Newt Scamander. Newt, this is Armand Bisset, senior auror at the French Ministry of Magic."

Bisset's face brightened. His smile was as broad as his shoulders and crinkled the corners of his eyes. "The famous Newt?" He quickly glanced at Tina with a mischievous grin, then back to Newt with an almost childlike glee. "And THAT must be the case!" Newt tightened his grip on his case.

"Indeed," Theseus was curt. "Can we focus a little? We are on a schedule. Newt, it's good to see you, but you need to leave now."

"Not likely, Theseus. I don't work for you."

"He's here for Credence too, sir. Maybe we could use him?" Tina offered.

Theseus looked frustrated. "I'm not going to ask how you know about the obscurial Newt, but we're already dealing with too many variables. Our information suggests that Grindlewald's followers are going to make a move tonight. We doubt he'll be here himself, but we know he is going after Credence and this maladictus the circus has locked up. We can't let that happen. We've located both of them, but we know some of his followers are already here, and in case it has escaped your notice, this circus is not exactly operating above board. All of them against three of us." Tina was giving Theseus a face. She had seen what Newt was capable of and she got the impression that Theseus had an unfairly low opinion of his brother's ability to handle himself. Maybe he was just overprotective.

"So," Newt asked innocently. "You won't be needing a distraction?"

"Exactly, Newt. I can't be worried about you…"

Bisset laughed. "English is not my first language ami, but I don't think that's what he meant." Newt smiled awkwardly. He liked Bisset, he decided.

A few minutes later, Newt was standing outside the fey cage. Theseus agreed to a compromise. Newt would stay out of the way of the aurors, but he would provide a much-needed distraction and hopefully rescue some of the circus' trafficked creatures in the process. They agreed on a rendezvous point near the vardos where the performers slept. Then they quickly separated.

Newt waited until there was no one else around, and then regarded the lock closely. He tried some basic unlocking spells, but he wasn't surprised to find they wouldn't work. Pickett was hiding in an interior pocket and refused to come out. Something about the way the fey moved in the air really made him anxious. So, Newt produced a set of long thin pieces of wire… lock picks. He had spent enough time observing bowtruckles that he picked up a few things about lock picking. It took less than a minute to unlock the enclosure.

As soon as the iron door swung open, he flattened himself against the bars and held as still as possible. The fey exploded out the cage and into the crowds, wreaking havoc… biting, pinching, pulling hair, upending displays and dropping them on unsuspecting people. Panicked screams ensued, and people started running in every direction to avoid the creatures.

Newt smiled a crooked smile of delight.

He moved past the tent with the maladictus in it. Theseus made it clear that he wasn't to interfere with their rescue, and there were other creatures that needed his help. Down the alley there was a caged pair of fwoopers. He deftly picked the lock and lured the birds out with a handful of peanuts and dried fruit. Once they were safely secured in his case, he moved on. Tent to tent, cage to cage, he released animals that were indigenous to the area and safely stored those that weren't for later care and relocation. As the chaos of the fey died down, he knew he would have to leave soon.

He turned a corner, into a darkened area of the circus that he hadn't been to before and halted in his tracks. "Oh no," he breathed to himself. "You didn't." On the side of the tent was the image of an ethereally beautiful woman, her blond hair billowing out behind her, midway through a seductive dance. Warnings of "Adults Only" peppered the tent and a short, but very strong looking wizard guarded the entrance. He had clearly heard the ruckus throughout the grounds but wasn't willing to leave his post. Thinking quickly, Newt waved his free arm about in a panicked manor. "Fire," he shouted at the guard. The man just looked at him stupidly. "Fire! FIRE!" He pointed back the way he had come, and finally the guard understood and sprang into action.

Newt rushed into the tent and sighed in dismay. "You did!" The tent was empty and dimly lit. In the center was a large cage containing the most beautiful girl Newt had ever seen. When she saw him enter, she stood and began to dance fearfully. Newt felt his mind go fuzzy. "Stop," he pleaded. "Don't do that. I'm here to help." He had to think. He wanted to free her. He should free her, but if this girl was full veela as he suspected, and if she had been abused by the circus like the other attractions, then there was no telling how she would react to being released. The girl seemed to take in the situation fully. No guard. No other gawkers. She knew something wasn't right. She looked at Newt with pitiful eyes. "Please let me go. Please! I just want to go home!" Her voice was soft and sweet and oh so desperate.

Newt found himself at the lock without really knowing how he got there. Pickett squeaked in alarm from inside his coat, but the picks were already out. "I'm going to free you now, but I have some friends out there. They're trying to help. Please just go. Don't harm anyone…" The lock clicked and the door swung open. The delicate girl transformed instantly. Dark wings sprouted from her shoulders, and her face grew long and hard and sharp. Her fingers stretched into wicked claws. The vela bust through her cage and Newt took a few steps back, in awe. "Wow," he breathed in admiration.

"Thank you, friend," the girl took off, ripping a hole through the roof of the tent. Newt followed her out and realized with dread that she wasn't heading away from the circus, but towards the few remaining sounds of people. "Bugger," he cursed, and ran after her.

Up ahead he could see flashes of spellfire like lightening. He cleared the alley onto the midway. By now, most of the visitors and bystanders had fled. Unfortunately, Newt couldn't tell the few that remained from Grindlewald's men, which was a problem. An more immediate problem was the veela who was rearing back to attack Bisset right in front of him. He lunged forward. "No, please! He's a friend! He's on our side!" The veela whirled on him, snarling. "No sides," she seethed from her beaklike maw.

At the same time a hand grabbed Newt and spun him around. The fire breather had him by the shoulder, his wand raised for an attack. Newt acted instinctively, swinging his case as hard as he could. He connected with his attacker's jaw and the man went down. At the same time, Bisset had backed up a few steps. He raised his wand and pointed it at the veela. He fired a bright white spell, but he aimed it wide. It flew past the woman and hit the wizard a few meters behind her who was about to attack.

She turned back to Bisset to thank him, but at that moment there were shouts of alarm behind them. They turned, just in time to see a bright flash. Theseus and Tina flew out of an alley, and collide with the ground, hard. Newt and Bisset made eye contact. They nodded in silent agreement and apparated to their comrades' sides, Bisset to Theseus, and Newt to Tina. She was already pushing herself painfully upright when he reached her, and knelt beside her. Alive and mobile, he realized with relief.

The relief was short lived. He looked down the alley from where the attack came. There, in the dim light, was Grindlewald himself. He was flanked by six followers and three of the circus performers, who it seemed had joined him. Two of his followers held Credence and Nagini at wand point.

"Miss Goldstein. Mr. Scamander. How nice to see you again," He purred. Newt was angry, and when Newt got truly angry, he got reckless. He placed his case next to Tina, who was still struggling to her feet. Wand out, he advanced on Grindlewald. "Newt, don't," his brother warned behind him. Grindlewald smiled in amusement.

A fluttering of wings and a soft hiss and the veela dropped from the sky between the two parties. She looked back and forth, sizing up the situation. Grindlewald's eyes grew wide with awe and desire, even though she was still in her less seductive birdlike form. "You are beautiful," he cooed. "Only a true monster could cage such a bird as you. Join me, and I will offer you freedom, and vengeance on those that treated you like an animal."

The veela transformed back into her human form. She advanced on Grindlewald with a sway that made every male in the alley a little stupider. "There is nothing you can offer me that he," she pointed to Newt "hasn't already given me without condition. I know your type, wizard. You take. You don't give." She was very close to Grindlewald now. He watched her approach, enchanted. But just as she was within arm's reach of him, he shook himself and apparated away, his followers close behind.

"No!" Newt shouted in frustration as he watched Credence and Nagini vanish before his eyes. The veela shrieked, transformed back into her bird form and took off. Newt and his auror companions became aware of the chaos around them. The circus performers had rallied and outnumbered the aurors. Now, without Grindlewald's followers and circus patrons to divide their attention. A large group of them were advancing with angry expressions.

"Time to go, I think" Theseus suggested. Newt felt a hand on his shoulder and the familiar tug of apparition. A moment later he found himself in an open field, lit only by the stars and moon. A few yards away there was what looked like a series of Neolithic ruins. Not much to them really; just a couple of standing stones, and 2 partial walls with an opening that had once been a door.

The aurors walked silently and purposefully towards the door, so Newt followed. When he entered, he felt the familiar tingle of protection spells and wards and the space transformed into a basic but serviceable shelter… four walls and a roof, stocked fireplace, a table and five chairs, five cots and a couple of lanterns. Theseus flicked his wand irritably and the fireplace roared to life. Another flick lit the lanterns. When they were all safely inside, he turned on Newt.

"Setting an angry veela loose in that chaos, Newt? What were you thinking?" Theseus was angry, but Newt was used to that.

"I didn't know she was there. You didn't tell me, but I couldn't leave a sentient being locked up in forced servitude like that. Theseus, they were making her…"

"I know what places like that use veelas for, but Newt! We had a plan… a simple plan. We were supposed to stay under the radar. Now Grindlewald has an obscurial and a maladictus and Paracelcus knows what he's planning to do with them."

"How is that my fault, Theseus? This wasn't my plan. I didn't give you faulty intelligence. If I hadn't been there, Grindlewald might have gotten his hands on the veela as well."

Theseus fumed. Newt balled his fists up at his sides. The two brothers glared at each other.

"Why are we here, anyway? Shouldn't we be getting to a floo?" Newt asked, attempting to change the subject.

"They're watching the floo network, Newt." Theseus' voice was terse. He shook his head. "Our portkey is arriving at daybreak, which should be in a few hours," he said loudly enough to be heard by all.

Bisset had settled into one of the chairs at the table, trying very hard not to notice the family squabble happening right in front of him. Instead he was laying out some medical supplies. His left pant leg rolled up to reveal a nasty looking gash, which he set to tending. Tina had taken refuge on one of the cots in a dim corner. Theseus joined Bisset at the table, and a quiet conversation ensued.

Newt tuned them out and walked over to the corner with Tina. Her back was turned to him, and he wasn't really sure how he should approach her. She had to have heard his row with Theseus. She must have heard what Theseus said. "They're watching the floo network." The subtext was clear. This was, at least in part, his fault. Would Tina blame him for loosing Credence once again? He didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Well, that went a bit pear shaped," he fumbled. Tina turned slightly towards him and laughed miserably. The laughter turned into a sharp intake of breath. Newt's brow creased in concern. He made his way around the cot and knelt in front of her. "You're injured?"

Tina shook her head. "Nothing serious. Bumps and bruises. It'll wait until morning."

Newt chanced a glance at Tina's face, and he noticed a blush creep to her cheeks and the pinch around her eyes. He looked back at Theseus and Bisset in quiet conversation.

Uncharacteristic boldness took him.

"I'm going to check on my creatures," he announced softly to the room. "Tina, would you care to help?" He held out his hand in invitation. She looked up, startled, and met his steady gaze. She took his hand and allowed him to help her up. He set his case up by the cot and led her down the steep steps to his shed.

"Sit there," he pointed to a bench in one corner of the shed. His voice was gentle, but it left little room for argument. Tina sat and eyed him warily. She carefully removed her coat and draped it beside her as she sat. "Would you allow me to help, or would you rather I just get you the medical supplies you need and then take a walk outside for a bit?"

She blinked in surprise. "I…" she blushed again. "I don't think I can reach." Newt waited patiently. She hesitated before reaching for the buttons of her shirt. Newt turned to his shelves and started rummaging for his medical supplies while she worked. Tina's hands shook slightly. This was not how she pictured their reunion. They hadn't even gotten a proper hello yet. She finished with her shirt and shrugged out of it. She felt it pull a little at her lower back where the worst of the pain was coming from. Under her shirt she wore a plain white camisole. She tugged at the hem and hissed as it clung persistently.

Newt turned then and crouched down beside her to inspect her injury. He didn't pull at the fabric at all. Instead he prodded gently at the area through the camisole. "Was this spell fire or the impact with the ground?" He asked.

"A little of both, I think."

Newt considered for a moment, and then went back to his work station. He set a kettle heating on a small 2 burner stove and prepared a glass bowl and wash cloth. Into the bowl he poured a combination of tinctures with a rich herbal scent. Just before the kettle started to whistle, he removed it from the heat and poured it into the bowl.

Tina watched him work with fascination. "Why do you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?"

"Why do you do so much the slow way?"

Newt brought the steaming bowl and wash cloth over to where Tina sat. "You mean the non-magical way?" Tina nodded.

"I prefer this sometimes. It helps me feel grounded. Magic is wonderful, but I think it has the potential to… disconnect us from the physical world. We forget how things work. You know, I've met witches and wizards who don't know how water boils. They can make it boil, but they don't really understand how it works." He soaked the wash cloth in the steaming liquid and pressed it over the camisole. The liquid worked itself into the fabric and onto her skin, loosening the dried blood. The heat soothed her sore muscles. She relaxed a little.

After a few minutes, Newt was able to lift the hem of her shirt up enough to get a good look at the wound. "Hold that, please." Tina held the camisole in place for him as he oh so gently prodded the skin. "Mmmm. That does look unpleasant."

Tina felt a blush rise to her face and she tried to repress the faint tremble that was threatening to overtake her. Not only was she exhausted and hurting like a Salem Fire, but she was acutely aware that a man she was intensely attracted to, had his hands all over her half naked back. _Keep it together, Goldstein_ she admonished herself.

Newt used the hot tincture bath to wash off the rest of the blood and grime from her back. The liquid sometimes stung, but mostly it soothed. Once he was done, he patted it dry with a towel. "Well the good news is that it looks like you didn't get hit directly with anything. This looks more like ricochet from a fire spell of some sort. The bruising on the other hand. That looks like it goes deep. Nothing too serious, but it's going to take a couple of days before it's completely gone."

He got up and took the bowl back to his work area to shuffle through shelves of supplies. "This should take care of the burn and prevent infection." He pulled a bottle. "And this," he read the label on a jar. "Should help with the bruising." He grabbed a fresh cloth and some gauze pads as well.

"This is going to sting a little. I'm sorry about that."

"That's fine."

He got to work, and Morrigan it did sting! Tina sucked a deep breath in through her teeth.

"Sorry," Newt apologized again sympathetically.

To distract herself, Tina let her mind wander. She started to consider the implications of Newt having so many medical supplies in his suitcase, and such extensive first aid knowledge. It wasn't surprising, she decided, with his line of work. But she felt sad at the idea of him taking care of himself so much of the time. What did he do when he couldn't reach?

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a strange cool sensation. She froze in shock when she realized that it was Newt, blowing softly on the burn. Her mind went into a dizzying spin until it landed on a memory of her mother doing the same when she was five and accidentally poured hot wax all over her hand. She wondered idly if, like her mother, Newt was going to kiss it to make it better. She pushed that thought away as quickly as she could and thanked Morrigan that Newt couldn't see how red her face was.

He closed the bottle of burn ointment and opened the jar of bruise cream. As soon as he started rubbing it into her back, her muscles began unknotting themselves. She sighed. "Much better," she purred without thinking. She noticed that Newt paused, and she swore she could hear his breath hitch before continuing. She filed that away in her mind. She wasn't the only one this was affecting then. Good.

Newt covered his work with the gauze pad and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're all done." She lowered she camisole and gratefully started dressing herself again. Newt put away his supplies and cleaned out the bowl with the tincture bath.

By the time he was done, Tina was standing and pulling her coat back on. Newt stood in front of her, once again all nerves and awkwardness.

"Thank you for your help, and your discretion."

Newt smiled and looked away. "It was my pleasure." They both blushed.

"We should probably be getting back up there soon. Bisset is a wonderful auror, but he's also a shameless gossip. We wouldn't want to give him any ammunition."

"You go up. I actually do need to feed my creatures and check on the new arrivals. I'll be up in about a little while." He turned towards the door that led to his magical little world.

"Newt?"

"Yes?" He turned and found that she was right in front of him. Hazel eyes met brown. Tina summoned her courage and reached a hand behind his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. To his credit, Newt didn't miss a beat, returning the gesture. One hand twined into her short hair, the other splayed across her upper back. As first kisses go, it was exactly what Tina had expected; chaste, but speaking of a deeper longing. They could explore that later.

They broke apart, slightly winded. "It's really good to see you again," she smiled.

"And you," Newt breathed.

An awkward pause, and then Tina grinned foolishly. She turned to the stairs that would leader her back to the cool darkness on the French countryside. Newt sighed and left the shed for his nightly rounds.

A few hours later brought a dim predawn glow and a rough looking Frenchman with a rickety looking wheelbarrow. He spoke softly to Bisset and then left.

"Madame et messieurs, the portkey to the ministry departs in one minute." Newt collected his case and made sure that Pickett was safely stored inside (much to the bowtruckle's protests) and joined the group around the barrow.

"Three, two one, now!" The four placed their hands on the wheelbarrow at the same time. They experienced the gut churning feeling of transport by portkey. Moments later, they arrived in a quiet room, with a long table and chairs and a man.

Newt almost fell over backwards in an instinctive attempt to put distance between himself and the man before his rational mind kicked in.

"Sorry Newt. We should have warned you that Mr. Graves would be here."

Newt swallowed his anxiety and shook the man's hand. "It's good to meet you, Mr. Graves." Graves accepted he gesture and looked at Theseus. "You're brother?"

Theseus nodded and Graves returned his gaze to Newt. "Please allow me to extend my regrets to anything you may have suffered at the hands of Grindlewald while he wore my face."

Newt experienced a flash of memory. The feel of gravel and rail stays scraping his face while being electrocuted. He banished the memory from his mind.

"No apologies necessary, sir."

The rest of the party exchanged pleasantries while other officials filed in. Newt was introduced to amongst others, the head of the French aurors and head of the international task force on Grindlewald.

Thus began a day long debriefing filled with questions and planning. Newt was grilled mercilessly on how he discovered Credence's location. He admitted to suspecting his survival and searching for traces of him, but refused to divulge the sources who led him to the circus. The French, English,and American auror's argued over this, but eventually decided to move on.

By dinner time the it was announced that they would take a break, and would reconvene in two hours. Newt announced that he was going for a walk to clear his head.

"Don't go too far brother, and leave the case here."

"Absolutely not," Newt argued.

"Paris isn't as strict about magical creatures as New York, but people are nervous. Things are tense enough and we can't afford another accident. I'll take care of it, and with your permission, I'll even pop in and check on everyone. It's been far too long since I've seen Dougal."

Newt didn't like the idea of leaving his case behind, but in truth, Theseus was excellent with his creatures. He had been entrusted with their care on more than one occasion, and Newt really needed physical distance from the ministry building. The constant press and chatter of ministry types left him more exhausted than his adventure or the subsequent lack of sleep. He relented.

Tina offered to come with him. Newt was sorely tempted to agree, but he really needed to be left alone with his own thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2. I'm finding it much easier to write Tina than Newt. I probably should have figured that out before I started this story. Anyway, this has been fun. I've been mostly writing music for the last 10 years or so, so this is stretching different muscles. The last chapter needs some heavy editing and I'm going away for the holiday, so it probably won't be posted until around New Year's.

* * *

The wind whipped dry leaves into a storm around Newt as he exited the ministry. He pulled his coat tightly about him and breathed deeply. He didn't like the smell of cities, but the cool air helped clear his mind of the buzzing in his mind. It was a relief to be outside.

He started walking towards Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The cemetery was only a twenty minute walk from the Ministry and the park like atmosphere might help to relax him.

As he walked, he thought about Credence. He remembered the moment before Grindlewald disapparated with him and with the maladictus girl. He kept replaying the scene in his mind over and over. Credence had locked eyes with Newt at the last moment. He looked lost, desperate, and resigned. He had suffered so much already, but it was like he believed that he deserved it. And Newt had done nothing. He just watched it happen… wrong end of the alley… too far away… too slow. He passed a hand over his face, tiredly trying to scrub the image from his mind. It wasn't helping.

He realized with a start that he was already walking along the edge of Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The white stone wall rose up to his left and guided him along. Very soon he was standing before the main gate, offset from the road. The two tall pillars on either side of the gate were sentinels, casting shadows over visitors. Each was topped with a seal and Latin inscription, both suggesting that through faith and hope could one find immortality.

Newt wasn't sure about immortality. Witches and wizards tended to live longer than muggles, and seemed to have less of a fascination cheating death with a few exceptions. Still, he took comfort in the idea that the work people did in life could continue on, sometimes for centuries after they were dead. He hoped that his work with magical creatures might have some lasting impact on the wizarding community.

He stepped through the imposing gates and instantly felt better. The gray light and bitter wind kept most tourists and locals indoors, so Newt had this section of the cemetery to himself. He walked slowly down the beautifully tree lined roads and through a maze of impressive statuary, and stone carved mausoleums.

He was just thinking of heading back to the main road when he saw a figure peel away from a tree and pause.

Nagini.

Newt froze in indecision for a brief moment. He knew that following her by himself was risky. He knew that his brother would tear into him for doing it. He also knew that there was no other choice. He had no idea why she wasn't in Grindlewald's custody, but this was his chance to perhaps find out where Credence was and get one or both of them out of harm's way. He might not get another chance. His only question was whether to make contact with her now and bring her back to the ministry or see whether she lead him to Credence.

Newt decided to follow her, but he kept his distance. He let her get far enough ahead that it would be difficult for her to spot him, and he relied on his tracking skills as much as anything. As he continued to follow a footprint here, a trace of magic there, a hint of a shadow turning a corner up ahead, the pathways became narrower. The light became dimmer.

He found himself in a peculiar clearing. Around the edge stood four angels in a semi-circle, all facing a mausoleum. Three of the angels each took the classic hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil poses while the fourth, the angel of death in hooded shroud, pointed an accusatory finger towards the entrance of the mausoleum. The entrance was gated and locked and guarded by a statue of a woman, arms splayed out across the bars of the gate, barring anyone from entering. Newt regarded the tableaux for the briefest of moments. The effect was unsettling.

Nagini had vanished into the shadows beyond the clearing, and Newt wasn't sure which direction she had gone. He crouched to examine the ground for tracks when he heard a soft sound from across the clearing. He froze. There she was, leaning against the angel covering its mouth, half hidden in the failing light. She was wrapped in a wool shawl that didn't look up to the task of keeping out the wind. Her arms pulled it tightly across her body. It looked like she might have been crying.

"Hello," said Newt from his crouch in a soft soothing voice. "It's Nagini, isn't it? I'm Newt. We met briefly at the carnival yesterday… in a manner of speaking anyway. I'm a friend of Credence's. I've been worried about him, and you. Are you alright?" As he spoke, he stood and took a few very slow, cautious steps into the clearing. She didn't respond or really seem to notice him at all. "Are you hurt? Will you let me help…?" They were both startled by the sound of a snapping twig by the pointing statue. Newt turned, and felt a cold dread wash over him.

Grindlewald entered the clearing beside the angel of death. He walked slowly and deliberately into the clearing. Newt was reminded of the footsteps that echoed in the subway tunnel when Grindlewald wore the face of Percival Graves. Nagini fell in behind him, her head down, hands clasped in front of herself. Her body language was submissive. She looked so afraid, and Newt realized that he was wrong earlier. She was never out of Grindlewald's custody. He had somehow managed to impose complete control over her in less than a day.

"Nagini is doing very well, Mr. Scamander. Thank you for your concern. Such a good girl." He turned and smiled fondly at her. "Credence is fine too. Once he learns to control his power, there's no telling what he could do. And might I add, how pleasing it is to me that you and I should meet again so soon. We had so little time to catch up yesterday." The man smiled cordially. There was something cold about the smile.

"I'm glad you think so." Newt watched carefully. He knew from experience that he was no match for Grindlewald in combat dueling. He was better off looking for a distraction.

Grindlewald took a few more steps towards Newt. Newt instinctively stepped back, trying to maintain the space between them. That was when he heard the sound of scraping granite behind him. Something locked onto his arms roughly pulling them back and upward, leaving him incapacitated. The mausoleum statue had been enchanted. Newt had walked right into a trap. His brother was going to be insufferable over this… if he ever got to see Theseus again.

"I know, you don't have much respect for figures of authority, but…" Grindlewald made a slight gesture with his hand and the statue adjust the its grip, forcing Newt to his knees. "There we are," he purred. "It never hurts to show a little deference where it is due. You have to admit there is a sort of symmetry to this moment."

He removed his wand from his sleeve and brandished it. "Accio!" Newt's own wand flew from its place inside his coat and into Grindlewald's open hand. He regarded it for a moment, weighing it in his hand and analyzing its construction, then tossed it aside as though it was worthless. "There you are, on your knees, as helpless as I was in that subway tunnel." He walked up to Newt and crouched in front of him, their faces inches apart. "Shall I tell you what they did to me in New York, after you left? Shall I show you?"

Newt averted his eyes, focusing on a spot to the left of Grindlewald. The blood rushing in his ears sounded like a storm. He was terrified, but he also resented being treated like a pawn on a chessboard.

"I would much prefer you tell me what it is you want with me," he said, irritation coloring his voice. The dark wizard rose and with an almost imperceptible gesture, the statue made another adjustment. Newt groaned. It felt like his arms were being ripped out of their sockets. It was getting hard to breath.

"Manners, Mr. Scamander," he scolded. "You are a puzzle to me. Nothing more. But I have an almost obsessive compulsion to solve puzzles. You lack the courage to look me in the eye, yet you speak to me with contempt, even knowing what I could do to you. You seem incapable of handling the most mundane tasks, but you thrive in situation where most people would crumble. You're a wizard of no great import, who never even finished his schooling. You're a joke to many of your peers, yet the great Albus Dumbledore takes a special interest in you. Why? What's so special about you?"

"As I told you in New York, I really couldn't say. I haven't even spoken to Dumbledore since just after the war. Why are you so concerned about my relationship with old professors?"

Grindlewald bristled slightly at Newt's answer, but he recovered quickly. "Let's call it… curiosity. Dumbledore, like me, only takes that kind of interest in very special people. I must conclude then, that there's more to you than meets the eye."

"There's really not."

Grindlewald sighed and shook his head. "You would like to know what I want, Mr. Scamander? I want you to join me. You succeeded where greater wizards failed. You saw through my deception and you captured me. Your knowledge of magical creatures is prodigious. A man of your skills could be of great use to my cause."

Newt laughed at that, the movement pulling painfully at his arms.

"I know you think me a fanatic, Mr. Scamander, but we are both men of strong principles. We reject authority when we see it is wrong. We are rejected by our own society. I merely want to create a better society… one where people like you and I can be appreciated for our talents. And of course, if you joined me, you would see that your friends, Credence and Nagini are protected. You could help to nurture their skills."

Newt's mind was racing. He considered accepting Grindlewald's offer. It would keep him alive a little bit longer. It might give him a chance to escape. He could find Credence and help both he and Nagini escape. He could put right what went wrong the night before. But Newt was no spy, and he knew it. He wasn't an auror. He was just Newt. And he was a terrible liar.

"Mr. Grindlewald, I am not skilled in deception, so I'll save you the insult to your intelligence. Besides," Newt locked his eyes on Nagini. She was close enough to him now that he could see the tear tracks on her face. He could see she was trembling, even in the darkness. "I think I can see very well from where I am, how Nagini is being treated." She looked up when he mentioned her name. He held her gaze for what seemed like a long time. Her face crumpled into a look of agony and she shook her head from side to side as her whole body seemed to shrink in on itself.

Grindlewald sighed. He closed his eyes in frustration. "That really is a pity. I like you, Mr. Scamander, but I can't have you constantly interfering with my plans. So, what to do with you?" He began to pace in front of Newt as he silently considered his options. Newt's heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. Any minute there would be a flash of green, and it would be all over. Or Maybe Grindlewald would keep him… lock him up in some dark place until he wasted away. Newt tried not to think about it, but he could think of nothing else.

Finally, Grindlewald turned. With a flick of his wand the statue released Newt. He pitched forward face first into the grass, and then quickly scrambled to a crouch. His wand was only a few feet away. Grindlewald turned his back on Newt as if to leave. His mind couldn't make sense of what was happening. It didn't fit.

He was so busy trying to process the fact the Grindlewald was just going to let him go that he almost missed the fact that the dark wizard was speaking. It wasn't English, though.

 _Parseltongue!_ Newt's system flooded with adrenalin. Part of him was fascinated. He saw Nagini transform before his eyes. His scientist brain tried to catalogue as much information as possible. The primitive fight or flight part of his brain sent him diving for his wand.

He wasn't fast enough.

The maladictus collided with him with such force that they both went crashing to the ground and rolling to a stop. Shock prevented him from feeling Nagini bite him. It didn't prevent him from feeling the slight shake and then the burning sensation as she envenomated him. He had been bitten by venomous snakes before, some quite dangerous. None of them were quite as dangerous as a maladictus. As far as he knew, no one had ever survived a serpentine maledictus bite. Some years back he had developed an experimental antivenom. It was untested, but the research behind its development was sound. When he realized that Grindlewald had got his hands on a living, breathing maladictus, he made sure to pocket a phial of it.

As the first effects of the venom started to affect him he tried to stave off panic. Slow breathing, slow heart rate, stay calm. Panic would cause the venom to spread faster and staying as calm as possible could be the difference between life and death.

Nagini was wrapped around him so tightly, he could barely move. But he managed to get his left hand into his coat pocket. Inside he had devised an organizational system for potions he wanted to keep on hand, a grid of smaller pockets, sewed into the magically enlarged lining. With shaking fingers, he counted three rows down and four across. They wrapped around a small glass phial. The phial had a raised shape on the glass, a curved line in the shape of a coiled snake. Each phial was stamped with its own unique raised symbol. It was his way of confirming he had the right one without having to read a label. He pulled the phial from his pocket and waited. The trembling in his hands was spreading.

Nagini released her grip on him and uncoiled herself. She returned to her place next to Grindlewald and transformed back into her human form. Her face was pale and miserable and riddled with guilt.

Newt was having trouble breathing, and the burning sensation was intensifying and spreading. He knew that he stood a chance with his antivenom, but the longer he waited to take it, the more his chances went down. Grindlewald was watching him and saying something, but there was a rushing of blood in his ears and couldn't focus on the words. He just wanted Grindlewald to leave!

Through tearing eyes, Newt looked up at Nagini. She was looking back at him. No. Not at him. She was looking at his hand. She saw the phial. He tried to conceal it behind his coat, but it was too late. She locked eyes with him, and for a moment Newt lost all hope. But Nagini didn't tell Grindlewald what she saw. Instead, she seemed to collect her courage. She silently mouthed "I'm sorry" to Newt, and then turned and ran. Grindlewald stopped speaking mid-sentence. He watched her go, a look of confusion and disbelief on his face.

"You will excuse my rudeness, Mr. Scamander, but it seems that I have other matters to attend to." He apparated after the girl.

Quickly, Newt popped the cork out of the phial with his thumb and drank the potion in one gulp. He then considered his options. His symptoms were going to get worse before they got better. On top of that, there were the side effects of the potion he just took. Should he try to find help? He couldn't remember how far he was from the street, and he wasn't sure if he could stand. He shivered as a painful spasm ripped through him. H waited for it to pass. His only other option seemed to be to lay there on the cold ground until the venom worked through his system or killed him. He wasn't sure how long that would be, or whether exposure to the elements would make things critically worse. To make matters worse, he had no idea if Grindlewald would come back to make sure he was dead.

He was getting light headed. The bite wound was bleeding a lot, which was good. It meant less venom in his system to deal with. But combined with the shortness of breath and the burning pain shooting throughout his body and down his limbs, it made it very hard to think. How long had he been lying there? He thought only for a few minutes, but it seemed so much darker and colder now. He was drifting.

He came back to his senses briefly. When was this going to stop hurting, he wondered? He heard voices. They were nearby. French. They were calling out orders. They sounded organized. Aurors, he thought? He forced his eyes open and looked around. It was very dark, but the skies had cleared, and the moon cast a bright light over the clearing. He could see his breath form erratic white puffs in the moonlight. His head dropped to the side. In the light he would see his wand. It was only a few feet away. He reached out with his left hand. "Accio," he croaked. His throat was swollen. His wand shivered and rolled a few inches closer. He tried again. This time it jumped a foot. One more time, he though. With a monumental effort he called his wand the rest of the way. He pointed it into the air and sent sparks into the sky. They were weak, but they were enough.

"Ici," a voice called. Someone knelt down near him. He could hear other voices whispering nearby.

"Mon dieu!"

"Merde!"

"Ou est Scamander et Goldstein? Aller les chercher! Vite!"

Newt tried to stay conscious, but he knew it was a losing battle. Everything hurt. He was gasping for air. All he wanted at that moment was to see Tina or even just hear his brother scolding him, but instead he listened to the French voices fade further and further until there was nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the final chapter as promised. This was actually the part that I started with when writing and then I just kept asking myself well how did they get here? So I wrote this one backwards. This needed a lot of editing because I backtracked through the story. I hope everything lines up properly now.

* * *

Awareness came to Newt in stages. First, he was aware of the discomfort. It was more an intense soreness than actual pain. His neck, shoulders, arms and chest were all very sore, particularly on the right side. His head was also sore. It throbbed in time with his heartbeat. While he was categorizing these aches, he also became aware that it was quiet, warm, and relatively dark where he was. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he was awake enough now to register a distinct lack of ambient light on the inside of his eyelids. He could hear what sounded like a fire, and the comforting tick of a clock. The air smelled like old timbers and smoke.

He couldn't remember what had happened to leave him feeling sore and exhausted and in what he assumed was an unfamiliar bed, and this concerned him somewhat. He hadn't felt this terrible in a long time. His arms and legs felt so heavy that some small part of him feared that he might be experiencing paralysis. He tried to wiggle his toes and was relieved to feel them respond. When he repeated the experiment with his fingers, he was surprised to realize someone was holding his hand!

"Newt?"

The voice was a bit muddled, but it was unmistakable. He struggled to open his eyes. Even the dim light was almost too much for him. Everything came flooding back in a panic.

"Shhh. It's okay. You're safe. Can you hear me?"

Definitely Tina's voice. Newt's heart skipped a beat. A hand brushed his cheek, then his forehead. He took a deep breath. It even smelled like her! Blurry colors started to come into focus. The first thing he saw was her eyes, dark and deep and full of concern. Newt could feel the corners of his mouth pull into what he assumed was a ridiculous looking grin. His vision sharpened and he could make out her face, soft and glowing in the dim light.

"Hey," she said and smiled brightly.

Newt tried to answer, but it came out as part growl, part cough.

"Shhh. Don't try to talk yet." Tina reclaimed both her hands, much to Newt's dismay, and used them to retrieve a glass of water. She helped him to sit up, and offered it to him, and he took it gratefully.

"You've been out for almost two days," she explained as he started taking in details of their surroundings. They were in what appeared to be a room at Le Balai Tordu. Light peaked around heavy curtains on the window. The room was dimly lit by the fireplace. The flames cast a warm glow over Tina's face. In one corner there was an old grandfather clock. That was the source of the ticking.

"We were so worried about you! When we found you in the cemetery, you were barely breathing. Theseus was beside himself."

A thought occurred to Newt. Through cracked lips he rasped "My case?"

Tina smiled. "Theseus has been taking good care of your creatures. He's here. So are Queenie and Jacob. They're asleep right now. We've been watching over you in shifts. We… I wanted to make sure that the first thing you saw when you woke up was a friendly face."

"Thank you," Newt croaked. His voice was getting stronger. The water he sipped was helping. But it felt like his throat was being simultaneously scoured by sandpaper and burned by firewhiskey.

There was an awkward silence as Newt drank. Tina watched him and worried at her bottom lip, something he was far more used to seeing Queenie do. "How do you feel?" Tina finally asked.

"Like I've been chewed up and spit out by a giant snake."

Tina bristled a bit at his weak attempt at humor.

"Sorry. Not funny. I feel lucky, all things considered."

Tina frowned for a moment, and Newt thought she might choose to push the matter. Then she seemed to come to some sort of a decision and busied herself arranging medical supplies on the small table by Newt's bedside. Newt used the uncomfortable silence that followed to take further stock of his condition. He was dressed in a pair of striped pajamas. They were too big for him and in Gryffindor colors, from Theseus he assumed. The shirt was opened, much to Newt's discomfort, and he could see the dressing that covered his snake bite out of his peripheral vision. What was more striking was the vivid bruising that extended far beyond the bandages, and halfway down the trunk of his body on the right side. He was sure his arm near to his elbow was a similar shade of black and purple. No wonder he felt so rotten.

Tina handed Newt a glass that gave off a bitter smell that Newt recognized as blood replenishing potion. He sighed and choked it down. Then Tina set to work on peeling the bandages away from his injury. Newt tried not to squirm, but he was definitely in unfamiliar territory here. He wasn't used to having others care for him when he was hurt, and of the few occasions since childhood where it had happened, it was always a clinically detached professional… a doctor or a nurse or a field medic. Being tended to by Tina evoked a whole different slew of emotions… emotions he wasn't sure he wanted to share with her considering how taciturn she seemed.

Finally, she pulled the soiled dressing away from the injury. In some spots the gauze clung unpleasantly, but she managed to pry it loose without causing much pain. Newt grimaced at the sight. He wasn't by no means a squeamish person, but that really did look awfully unpleasant.

Tina started cleaning the wound and Newt wasn't sure if it was the aftereffects of the venom, or if it was Tina's proximity that was making him feel so lightheaded.

"So, do you want to tell me how you went from a quick walk to clear your head to nearly being killed by Grindlewald's pet maladictus in under an hour today?"

Her voice was tight, and Newt noticed that she avoided making eye contact with him while she worked, which was a bit of a role reversal. She was upset. He couldn't really blame her. He wasn't terribly happy with the way things turned out either.

"I was foolish," he admitted. "I saw Nagini while I was walking in the cemetery. I thought that if I followed her, she might lead me to Credence. I tried to keep my distance. I really had no intention of doing anything but observe. It never occurred to me that it might be a trap."

"It didn't?" Tina had done a thorough job of cleaning the bite, but she continued to work, almost absent mindedly. The warm, herb scented water, her gentle touch and the growing suspicion that there was something wrong that he couldn't quite pick up on were all making it very hard for him to think properly.

"Why go to all that trouble for someone like me? I'm not important like Theseus," he stammered. Tina winced when she heard him underestimate himself like that, but she said nothing about it. "You weren't deceived by him like the rest of us. You aren't as easily manipulated by promises of wealth, or power… or respect." Her voice became hushed at that last part. She wasn't proud of how easily she fell for Grindlewald's act when the face of her superior was offering a place back on the investigative team. "He sees you as more of a threat than most of us."

Newt shook his head, unwilling to see himself as anything so special. "The good news is that Nagini isn't all that easily manipulated either."

"Newt, she tried to kill you, I assume on Gridnlewald's order."

"But she didn't kill me. She could have. She's confused and scared, and she's doing what she must to survive, but she is not one of his followers. She's a prisoner."

Newt was so pleased to share this news that he didn't notice Tina's increasing agitation. "No one has ever survived a maladictus bite before. As far as she was concerned, you were dead when she sunk her teeth into you."

"No. I mean yes, she did bite me and the intent was clearly to kill, but she was being coerced."

"Coerced?" Tina was in disbelief that Newt would go so far to defend someone who nearly killed him.

"And she saw that I had an antidote in my hand. She could have alerted Grindlewald, but she chose to distract him. She ran… she drew him away from me so that I could take the antidote. She saved me at some risk to herself. This," he indicated towards his neck, "shouldn't be held against her when we rescue her…"

"Rescue her? Newt, she's a monster!"

"No, she needs our help!" it registered to him that they were arguing, but he still didn't recognize how upset she was until she exploded at him, eyes all fury. "WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THESE DANGEROUS WOMEN?"

"Tina?"

The voice was quiet, but it cut through Tina's anger like water on a fire. All at once she realized that she was breathing heavily, and that she had yelled at such a volume as to draw Queenie and Theseus from their rooms. They were both standing in the door way. She also realized that Newt's jaw was tightly clenched. His face was all hard lines and tension, and he was breathing shallow ragged breaths through his nose. And his eyes were very pointedly looking away from her. Full realization of what she had done registered.

"Can I talk to you for a moment," Queenie continued gently. Tina deflated completely. Shame and self-loathing colored her cheeks. She turned to her sister, her eyes moist.

Theseus stepped into the room. Tina noticed that Pickett was clinging to his shoulder and giving her the dirtiest look a bowtruckle could muster. "I'll watch my brother for a bit. You two go talk. You can use my room, so you don't disturb Jacob."

Without another word Tina followed Queenie out of the room. She swore she could hear Pickett growl softly at her as she passed by. Theseus' room was next to Newt's. Tina closed the door behind them. They both stood there for a long, uncomfortable minute. "Well, that was really something, Teenie,"

Tina passed a shaky hand over her face. "This has been a very bad day," she sagged against the door.

"No kidding," Queenie gave her a sympathetic smile. "Tina, I know you're scared, but you gotta be careful with Newt. He's a sensitive guy. You lay into him like that too much and he's gonna skidaddle."

"I know, I know! It's just, he almost got killed today and he acts like it's nothing. How can he be so cavalier about what happened? How can he be talking about going after that… that…"

Thing had been the word she wanted to use, but she couldn't quite bring herself to say it. She knew what it would sound like. She also knew that Queenie already heard her think it.

"Whatever she's done, she's still a person, Teenie. She's scared and she's in pain. Newt has to help her. That's who he is. That's why you love him."

Tina decided to ignore her sister's forward comment for now. She wasn't sure how she felt about Newt, but that was for another conversation.

"Queenie, I just don't want to lose him to a monster."

Queenie crossed her arms and shook her head. "Uh-uh. That's not it. I mean sure, you don't want to see him get killed, but twice a day he goes down into that case and messes around with half a dozen creatures that could kill him. Even as good as he is, all it would take is one bad decision… a little bad luck…"

"You're not helping."

"My point is, you don't want to yell at him for that, do you? Heck, you don't even want to yell at him for trying to save Credence, and he nearly killed Newt too. It's not the monster part of Nagini that's got you so hot and bothered. It's the lady part."

Tina glared sharply at her sister. She had no words. She was furious at her sister for making such a bold accusation. She was suddenly humiliated by the very personal turn the conversation had taken. Her thoughts were racing so fast she couldn't even pick one out of the chaos in her head. Her mouth hung agape.

"Face it Teenie. She's a beautiful woman. You've never been terribly confident about yourself around the gentlemen. You're afraid that Newt's gonna fall for her, but he ain't that kind of guy. Besides, I think he's kind of sweet on you!"

Tina laughed miserably as tears began to fall. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I would know, right?"

Tina leaned onto her sister's shoulder and let it all out.

* * *

Back in Newt's room, Theseus watched as the two women left. The door closed. He paused before walking over to his brother. Newt was avoiding eye contact.

 _Typical,_ Theseus though. Instead of talking he opted to continue the work that Tina had started. He sat down beside Newt's bed and began to work carefully and quietly applying bruise cream and healing salve. Pickett transferred himself from Theseus' shoulder to Newt's bed. He chirped and fretted over Newt's condition and then crawled to his uninjured side and began patting his cheek with twiggy fingers. Meanwhile, Theseus noticed that Newt was bleeding again at the site of the bite. It wasn't enough to draw serious concern, but it did catch his notice.

"You used a blood thinner in that potion of yours, little brother?"

Newt looked at him briefly, surprised at the comment. Theseus' attention remained fixed on his work. He continued to prod.

"Yes," Newt answered. "Reduces the amount of venom that you're dealing with, though it can cause problems of its own, of course."

Theseus nodded. "What else? There wasn't enough left to analyze, and I didn't want to pry through your notes in your case."

"Mostly mandrake leaf and shrivelfig. A touch of dittany…"

"…and let me guess. A drop of felix felicis. I'm surprised you haven't run out of that stuff yet."

Felix felicis was, of course, notoriously difficult to brew. But once Newt had theorized that just a drop of it could vastly improve the outcome of healing potions, he became determined. He brewed hundreds of unsuccessful batches of the stuff, and only one successful batch. He kept it well hidden, and only his brother even knew it existed. He only ever used it in very small amounts as an additive to his healing potions. "That's saved me on more than one occasion. And not just me, Theseus."

"I don't deny it. And in case I never said it at the time, thanks for that. Are you going to share this recipe with St Mungo's?"

"Probably. It needs a lot of refining."

"You did go a little heavy on the blood thinners."

"Had to. Had to counteract the dittany so it didn't close the wound too quickly."

"So you want to tell me what happened with Tina just now?"

"I…oh!" Newt glared at Theseus. He was good at that… getting Newt to talk about something he was comfortable with as a sort of back door to a conversation Newt didn't want to have. He had to admit, he was much calmer now, and Theseus was just redressing Newt's injury. He wasn't getting out of this discussion, so now was a good a time as any.

"She's upset with me."

"Oh, you think?" Theseus' voice dripped with sarcasm.

"She thinks Nagini isn't worth saving. She thinks I acted recklessly in the cemetery. She doesn't think I should risk my life to help others, but she's an auror. She does that every single day. I know that she's upset, but I don't understand."

"You can't for a moment put yourself in her place and imagine why she might be upset? How would you feel if she almost died and wanted to go right back into the situation that almost got her killed?"

"Scared." Newt didn't hesitate in his answer. "I'd be terrified. Tina sees Nagini as a threat to me, and she thinks I don't recognize the threat?"

"Oh, you definitely don't recognize the threat, little brother." There was a slight smile on Theseus' face that was puzzling to Newt. "You're all done here." Theseus had finished inspecting, prodding and redressing Newt's injury. He cleaned up the supplies as Newt considered what he had said.

"Theseus, what do you mean, I don't recognize the threat? I've worked with maladictus victims. I know what her venom can do. I know from first-hand experience now, so I understand the threat better than she does, I would hazard."

"How can someone as brilliant in animal behavior as you are be so blind to human behavior?" Theseus put the first aid supplies on a table by the door and sat beside Newt's bed. "Have you stopped to consider that maybe Ms. Goldstein feel threatened less by Nagini the maladictus, and more by Nagini the woman?"

Newt's brow furrowed. "When she's in her human form she's not a…"

"Very attractive woman who has you risking life and limb for her?" Theseus' eyes sparkled with the humor of the situation.

"She's… wait a moment… Tina doesn't think…". Realization finally dawned on Newt. His system was flooded with something between disbelief and alarm. "She's… jealous?"

"There we are now."

"But she has to know that I would never…"

"She doesn't have to know anything. Woman's prerogative. And you ARE chasing after another woman, you old dog. Plus there was that gorgeous veela that you saved only a few days ago." The cheeky smile on Theseus' face was utterly frustrating.

"Stop that!" Newt's irritation made Theseus chuckle. "How do I fix this?"

Theseus stood up and smiled sympathetically at his brother. "You really want my advice?"

"Yes, please," Newt begged.

Theseus scooped up Pickett from the bed, despite the creature's protests. "I suggest you talk to her." He opened the door to reveal Tina on the other side, poised to knock. _How does he do that_ Newt wondered.

"He's all yours," Theseus said to Tina, and then slid past her and out the door. "Come on Pickett. Let's get you some nice grubs to eat."

"Wait, Theseus…" Newt felt the panic rise is him as the door closed. Then silence. Tina looked at Newt. Newt looked at Tina, then quickly away.

"Eventually, one of us is bound to start talking," he said.

Tina threw her arms up and walked over to Newt's bed. "I can't believe I behaved like that. I don't even know how to start to apologize. Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"I'm fine, and I owe you an apology as well."

"No."

"Yes. You were upset. I gave the wrong impression…"

"No. Newt. Stop. You don't owe me an apology. I… didn't even know why I was so upset. That's not your fault. That's just…" she waved her arms again, unable to come up with the right words. "But that doesn't justify the way I treated you. I lost my temper and I could have hurt you. You can say you're fine, but I know what I did. I had no right to lose my temper like that." Tina was getting herself worked up. She was really disappointed in herself.

"For Deliverance's sake, as an auror I should know better…"

By now she was standing right next to him. Newt didn't know what else to do, so he took her hand. She stopped, mid rant and sat down.

"Please just listen for a moment. I want to make something very clear, and I'm not good at doing that." He paused to think for a moment, not looking at Tina.

"I want to help Credence. I know you do too. He's suffered through so much. He deserves so much better. He's also a danger to those around him, and under Grindlewald's influence, I fear what he might do. My interest in Nagini is no different than my interest in Credence. I know that she's dangerous, and that I wasn't careful enough…"

"I know. I…"

"Mmm." Newt shook his head. "Not finished." Tina was quiet.

He took a calming breath and look at her so intensely, she thought she might catch fire. "She has suffered, and she deserves better, but I have no other feelings for her beyond that… nor for that veela… not even for Leeta. I couldn't possibly, because you're the one I lo…"

Newt stopped suddenly, caught completely off guard when, for the second time, Tina leaned in and pressed her lips to his. This was not a tentative first kiss. Tina put all the emotion, all the meaning she couldn't express in words into it. Newt stiffened in surprise for less than a second. Then his mind went blank… blissfully blank. Newt couldn't remember a time when his mind wasn't whirling away, and the sensation of nothing but Tina was overwhelmingly euphoric. He reached his left hand out to her, threading it through her hair and pulling her closer to him.

They stayed that way for as long as they could, finally breaking contact to catch their breath. They were both smiling like school children. Tina tried to suppress a giddy laugh that was bubbling to the surface. She wasn't sure if it was coming from her overwhelming relief, or from near nervous collapse. She decided it didn't really matter when Newt got a cheeky grin on his face. "Well, that went considerably better than I expected."

They both laughed.

Several rooms away, Queenie climbed back into bed next to Jacob, who was still asleep. She smiled, confident that things would be alright for a while at least.


End file.
